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Saturday, August 25, 2018

So you're looking for a homemade dishwasher detergent that actually works? I've got you!
If you are tired of buying chemical and dye laden dishwasher detergents that aren't great for your family or the environment, try these easy peasy DIY dishwasher detergent tabs on for size.

They really work to break up grime on dishes and they're inexpensive to boot!

Using today's prices on Amazon for all the supplies used, you would pay about $0.33 per load for these homemade dishwasher tabs.

Now, I did link to the organic versions of the essential oils I used because I assumed you might want to use your essential oils on other things at home beyond washing dishes.

Only want the essential oils for washing dishes? Have some of these ingredients on hand already? Your tabs will cost even less!

Are you ready to get started making your very own homemade dishwasher detergent? Let's go!

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

If you are facing an ant invasion in your house and are looking for a way to get rid of them naturally using essential oils, you're in the right place! Finding ants in your home is not something anyone looks forward to. Once you notice an ant invasion (even if it is just 5-10 ants that made their way in), it is critical to stop it right away.

Luckily, it shouldn't take very long to take care of if you catch it right away.

Once your home is treated with this natural and non-toxic essential oil remedy, you will keep ants out for a while!

Using essential oils as an ant repellent is an easy way to get rid of ants that you can feel good about since there won't be any traps with poisonous chemicals that can make your kids or pets sick.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

My husband is allergic to dust. I, on the other hand, am allergic to dusting.

Ok, I'm not really allergic to dusting.

But here is the truth: I have two kids, two dogs, and a bunch of chickens to keep alive. I have a business to run and a book to finish writing and dusting the house all the time is, well, it's just not my priority.

Also? Have you ever noticed that sometimes you "dust" and what you really did was just make all the dust that was resting on your things airborne? Yeah. That's not a helpful thing (ahem, dust allergy).

That's where these life hacks come in. I cannot promise all your dust will magically disappear. But I can tell you that half the dust battle is keeping dust from accumulating in the first place - or at least keeping it from accumulating so fast - and these hacks will help!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

There have been several articles online lately about "Pinterest Anxiety." If you have not read these articles (or do not suffer from this condition), Pinterest Anxiety is caused when moms spend lots of time trolling Pinterest, reading articles and tutorials and noticing that the photos of other families' homes look clean and immaculate.

Moms are left feeling a sense of inadequacy. How do these bloggers have time to be moms while writing blogs, taking photos and making crafts with their kids all while keeping an immaculate house? Here's the answer:

They Don't!

Okay, well maybe some of them do. I certainly don't. And I know plenty of bloggers who have the same struggle as me. The truth is before I took that picture that is making you all sad, I spent 20 minutes de-cluttering that portion of my house and shoving everything behind me. True story.

Want proof? This, my friends, is about to get really real. And really ugly. (if you're the person who sent me a message chastising me for how I let my oven get so dirty, you may want to find a new post to go read.)

Until two weeks ago this was my drawer in my master bathroom:

I did not have to open this drawer to photograph it - it is so full of crap that it won't even close!

Yikes!

Aside from being so full of stuff I can't even close it all the way, there are several problems. Among them, it had things in I had not used in more than a year, it was unorganized and in general it was just a really hot mess. And I let it be this way for a month or more (I know!) because the longer I let it sit, the more intimidating it became to tackle.

But I got my mojo on and took some pictures and 30 minutes later I had a WAY more organized drawer that not only closes all the way but now I can find things easily. Hallelujah!

Have a bathroom drawer that needs organizing? I'm here to help!

I'm going to walk to step-by-step through organizing your master bathroom drawers and free you up to do way more exciting things than try to figure out where the heck your tweezers are. Ready? Let's go!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

It seemed innocent enough. A woman knocked on my door while my friend and I were working on crafts and watching the latest episode of Downton Abbey (which, by the way, did you know entirety of Season 4 on DVD already?!). When I answered, a woman told me that she worked for a carpet cleaning company that was new to the area and to get the word out about their business, they were giving away 50 free carpet cleanings for one room in your home for free. She said there was no obligation but they hoped if you liked what they did that you would consider having them back to clean additional carpets OR tell your friends about them.

My first concern was about chemicals. I don't let just anybody clean in my home. There are a lot of companies that call themselves "green" that are a far cry from being something I'd willingly allow in my home. When I asked about what they used to clean the carpets, she said it was a non-toxic cleaner but if I was still concerned, she could send them over and they could first do dry dirt extraction while I read the label on the bottle of what they use to dry shampoo and could decide then if it was okay or not.

It seemed like a good deal so I said yes. She took my name and said she'd send someone over within the hour - as soon as they were done with my neighbor's house.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

I'm currently on a de-cluttering and organizing binge. This, of course, might have everything to do with it. After living in our home for almost 5 years, we've got some stuff to clean out. And I'm loving the results!

The truth is, I've always struggled with decluttering in part because I felt like if an item still had some apparent use left to it, it was wasteful to discard it. If you struggle with this as well, let me tell you what really helped me:

If I'm not actually using it, keeping it is just as wasteful as getting rid of it.

If does not matter if an item could be used again later. Or if I could use it once I run out the stuff I like. If I'm not actually going to use it, it is better to give it to someone who can, or to just get rid of it all together.

So, in the spirit of making it easier to know where to get started, I'm going to walk to step-by-step through organizing the cabinet under your kitchen sink. Ready? Let's go!

Monday, September 16, 2013

I will admit it: until last week, deep cleaning my oven is something I never ever looked forward to. It took a long time and it's never as clean as I wish it were. Part of this is that we use non-toxic cleaning products and even though I think it might be possible to scrub it decently clean with a lemon, baking soda and vinegar - it would take a long time. Aint' no one got time for that!

So what changed?

This little beauty arrived on my door step:

In about 35 minutes, my oven was cleaner than I have ever seen it ever. EVER. And it was totally chemical free - all I needed was the steam that came out of this little miracle of modern cleaning technology.

Does this sound a little over the top? It's honest. Ask my husband. I was giddy. GIDDY about how clean my oven and stove were when he got home for work and I blabbered at him about it for longer than it took to clean the thing.

Once you see how awesome the SteamMachine is, you are going to want one, too! Keep reading after the tutorial to enter to win!

Hi, I'm Carissa! I want to help you make healthier choices for your family that are BEAUTIFUL & DELICIOUS - and really work! My life is proof positive that being green doesn't have to be bland or boring! Read more...

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. My posts may contain affiliate links to products on Amazon. Thank you for supporting Creative Green Living.

Carissa's Creativity Space (creativecarissa.com) became Creative Green Living in February 2013. As such the watermarks on older posts may reflect the previous site name.

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